MIEL PARA OSHUN
Cuba, 2001, 115 minutes, Colour.
Jorge Preugorria, Isabel Santos, Mario Limonta.
Directed by Humberto Solas.
Miel Para Oshun is a work of the veteran director Humberto Solas, perhaps best known for his 1968 feature Lucia, which was an award-winning film from the earlier years of the Castro regime. He has continued to make films from the '70s.
The tone of this film is very warm and humane, even sentimental at times, with an over-lush musical score continually rising to stringed crescendos. For detached viewers this may be too much. For those involved in the story it will confirm the very warm feelings of a man's search for his mother.
The film focuses on Roberto, an American who returns to Cuba after 32 years to find out about his roots. He finds a cousin and discovers that the story that his father had told him on fleeing Cuba to Miami is not true, that his mother did not wish to leave him and that she lives in the countryside. Together the man and his cousin purse a journey along the length of Cuba, encountering various difficulties and various Cuban characters until they find the mother.
1. The Cuban film industry? In the period of Castro, restrictions, types of storytelling? A change in the 21st century with refugees from Miami returning to Cuba to seek their roots? A microcosm of Cuba over 40 years?
2. The film's use of the Cuban locations, showing them to advantage, the city of Havana, the countryside and the roads, the small towns, the coast? The highlighting also of difficulties in moving through the countryside? The complimentary tone of the musical score, lush, strings, crescendos? Emotional?
3. The title and its reference to the river flowing into the sea, the place where they would find Roberto's mother?
4. The structure of the plot, the arrival of Roberto in Havana, his search for his cousin, the journey, the exhilaration of being in Cuba, being tricked by the Cubans, the finale and the result of the quest?
5. Roberto, in his forties, from Miami, in the American airlines, going through Customs, going to the hotel? His attitude towards Cuba and the puzzlement of coming back to the place he knew only as a little child? His search for his cousin, the information from friends, finding Pilar at work, their meeting, reminiscing?
6. The decision to go on the journey, the information, the lack of information? Their finding the taxi driver, his friendship, collaborating with them? The car?
7. The range of adventures in travelling through the island: with the car and its difficulties, the breakdown, getting a new jeep, the money deals, the people that they met, the feeling of being stranded? Yet the exhilaration of responding to the countryside? Meeting families, the bureaucracy? Roberto being robbed of his documents? The growing exasperation, Pilar wanting to go on, the taxi driver and his manipulation? Roberto exasperated, the shouting matches? Their taking the bus, getting more information, the photo and trying to identify the house? The final arriving in the town, their being taken in, the policeman and putting them in jail? Finally getting out, the search around the town, the amazement of finding the gate to the house?
8. The neighbours and informing Roberto and Pilar that his mother was there, Pilar telling the true story about his mother, her work, grief at her son's absence, in an institution, teaching, helping people? Her generosity to those in the town?
9. The return of the mother, the crowd gathering with Pilar and Roberto? The happy reunion?
10. The taxi driver, his revealing that he had swindled them, his joining in their quest, the happy ending?
11. A reflection on emotion in Cuba, the place of the Miami exiles, those who remained, the difficulties in Cuba in the year 2000 - and hopes for the future?
